* Worst trends: 3D movies. (Honestly, two-dimensional black and white is far more immersive.)
** Most overrated: Inception. (I enjoyed it on the whole. But if you want a film that convincingly explores the texture of dreaming, see Waking Life; and if you want a film that compelling explores the relation between perception and reality, see Blowup.)

Best TV shows

American: Mad Men, Season 4 (Not as good as the first three seasons, but it's still the best show on television.)
British: Rev
Australian: Rake

Literature – I didn't read much new fiction this year, since I’ve been devoting myself to Latin American fiction. So my personal highlight of the year was reading (nearly) all the works of Roberto Bolaño – his big novel 2666 is a masterpiece, an epic of despair, that challenges the whole genre of the novel, and The Savage Detectives is also a stunning novel. Another highlight for me has been the huge new edition of the The Complete Stories of J. G. Ballard.

I'm guessing Black Swan hasn't been released in Australia, along with True Grit and a number of others.

I must also disagree with the notion that Inception is overrated. Look at the lists of top 10 films by critics and entertainment mags: virtually all of them place The Social Network at #1, and many of them leave Inception off the list altogether. I thought Social Network was a fantastic movie, but it is a better candidate, in my mind, for most overrated. Inception, ironically, seems to be one of the more underrated films, even if it didn't seem that way back in the summer.

Kanyeezy is a genius, a mad genius even, but I've always thought he should of stayed with producing beats rather than getting into lyrics. I love they way he presents some of his concepts -- the way he works with words and ideas -- but his delivery has always been just so-so. I am not saying you have to have a delivery like Jay Z, but still, I've always questioned his lyrical abilities.

But like you said, he is really off base with a lot of his thoughts, really just trying to feed off of what the pop culture "wants to hear" -- or thinks it wants to hear. Sometimes I wonder if pop stars forget that they actually help create what is meaningful for their audience, instead of just channeling to us what we want or desire. Like Marshal McLuhan said, "the medium is the message" -- and the coveted, prized medium of choice nowadays is radio and television.

-- You didn't have Robin Hood as one of your top movies of the year?! Great flick. My fav, hands down.

I don't know what the criteria are for your "best books" category, but as a work of poetry Patti Smith's autobiography/memoir of her life together with artist Robert Maplethorpe, Just Kids, is absolutely stunning. And quite honestly, I think the book is nothing if it is not to be read as an exercise in theological parable.

haven't had the time to write my highlights as yet but i'd reccomend paul kelly's book "how to make gravy" as one that sits at the top of the list for 2010, purchase it in the box set with the live performances of the songs and you'll be doubly blessed :)